Follow Sean Inman to the best in craft beer
Drogone Lambic is brewed and aged by Brasserie Cantillon. It is a collaboration between Cantillon and Cantina Giardino. It is a blend of old Lambic and the pomace of Aglianco grapes. Sounds like a great and old fashioned beer. Cross country collaborations often yield intriguing results. Plus the label is very cool.
Collaborations are not just a U.S. craft beer thing, in Belgium St. Bernardus releases the 2025 Kombine a collaboration with Weihenstephan. An “unfiltered Helles blond beer that will be bottom fermented without bottle fermentation—while still staying true to the German Reinheitsgebot rules.” The hops are from both breweries while the famous Weihenstephan yeast will do the work.
A bit late to the 2024 party but when I saw an October canned San Diego Brewers Guild IPA, I thought it would be a good opportunity to review a hoppy beer a couple months on and if anyone could do it, it would be six San Diego breweries.
You have Black Plague, Ketch Brewing, Blah Brewing, Hoponymous Brewing, Fall Brewing and Hodad’s Brewing involved this time.
The Beer pours a light orange color with a dried citrus aroma and a pineapple note. There is a nice creamsicle taste to this with a firm malt backing to it. Nice and light but not anywhere near watery.
This months beer that I probably won’t see on SoCal store shelves is a beer with a connection to my hometown of Milwaukie. It is a collaborative beer from Breakside with La Cumbre Brewing from New Mexico.
“Up Top! is our take on the unfiltered Pilsners of northern Bavaria. This ‘Zwickel-style’ approach is high-risk high-reward, as it requires crafting a beer that tastes good through its natural maturing process. Up Top! walks this tightrope, rich and soft, with a supple maltiness and notes of pear and green tea.”
Ambitious Ales and Far Field Brewing has put a spin on the traditional collaboration with their new West Coast IPA, Gold Brothers. It is the “Same recipe. 24 hours. Two different brew systems.” And two different labels for the brew hopped with Citra, Nelson, and Citra Dynaboost.
There is an international collaboration out in the last weeks from Smog City Brewing and Nepomucen Brewery from Szkaradowo, Poland. And it’s a Baltic Porter! A win for diversity in beer styles.
Gotta powerhouse hype combo for the review today, ISM Brewing in Long Beach have paired up with Portland’s Brujos Brewing on a straight up West Coast IPA, Mere Visions.
This has got to be one of the lightest straw yellow IPAs that I have come across. Hopped with an impressive roster of Columbus Cryo, Mosaic Cryo, Strata, Simcoe and Chinook. Very well balanced overall. That Simcoe smell comes through. There is a medium hop hit before a soft bed of wheat notes. You could call this a White IPA as well.
Firestone Walker has a heads up on a future beer release. Wandering Don a West Coast IPA brewed in collaboration with Colorado’s Odell Brewing has been unveiled as the official beer of what is now being called the FWBC Beer Fest which will be happening in Paso Robles on May 31st of this year.
She’s The Brewer is a new collaborative IPA brew with “bold flavors for bold women.” from the combined force of Stone Brewing and the Pink Boots Society using the 2024 editions of the Pink Boots Malt (Odyssey Barley) and Pink Boots Hop Blend (Mosaic, Simcoe, Chinook and Krush).
We have quite the special brew to talk about today. Three Trappist breweries ( La Trappe, Tynt Meadow, and Zundert ) have banded together on a new beer: Three Rules of Authentic Trappist.
“The Three Rules of Authentic Trappist is a full-bodied, perfectly balanced Dubbel. The beer is characterised by a full, layered taste of sweet caramel, toasted malt, and a hint of peat, combined with subtle spicy and hoppy notes. This leads to an unparalleled taste experience with every sip.”
Part of the proceeds of the new beer will benefit Trees for All.